15 Ways To Manage Stress Brought On By The Pandemic
The pandemic is a stressful time all around. It can put mental and psychical strain on you which can be hard to figure out how to manage. Keep reading to see our top tips to managing stress that’s brought on by the pandemic.
1. Get Outside
Staying inside all the time during the pandemic may keep you safe but it can also have a negative impact on your mental and physical wellbeing.
Getting outside for at least 15-30 minutes a day can make a tremendous difference in the way you feel. It’s a proven fact even when you’re feeling down in the dumps that the sun and the earth can help. Plus who doesn’t benefit from getting a little bit of fresh air?
So go out and smell the roses! Take time to see all the beautiful things around you and realize that maybe things aren’t all that bad after all.
2. Pick Up A New Hobby
The best way to keep yourself distracted is to get involved in a new hobby. You’ll be so immersed in practicing a new skill that you won’t have time to think about all your worries and stress related to the pandemic.
Whether it be something artistic, athletic, or academic there are so many things to choose from. Having a hobby is always a good stress reliever and maybe it’ll become your new passion. A win-win!
3. Stay Active
It’s a proven and known fact that staying active relieves and balances out stress. It’s even considered a treatment for people that struggle with depression and anxiety. There are so many ways to stay active especially right from the comfort of your own home.
It doesn’t have to be a strenuous activity it can just be a small circuit that even lasts about fifteen minutes. Literally, anything will help. If you aren’t ready to be exercising just yet then maybe just try some stretching, we promise it’ll help you feel better.
4. Meditate
Taking time out of your day to reflect on your situation and manifest goodness for yourself is one of the best ways to relieve pandemic-related stress. Meditation comes in many forms and there’s no right or wrong way to do it.
If you’re religious you can say some quiet prayers, or if not you can just select to yourself quietly. The whole point of meditation is to take some time to yourself.
5. Connect With Your Spirituality
Whatever you believe in it’s a good time now to really start investing in it and truly connecting. We don’t know what the future holds during the pandemic and everything else going on so connecting with spirituality can really help us calm down.
Now is a time where a lot of us are overthinking a lot. It’s easy to find yourself losing hope. Connecting with your spirituality can help you get through these tough times.
6. Stay In Touch With Friends And Family
During the pandemic, we know it can be hard to be keeping in touch with everyone like you used to. For some, it became so difficult that they eventually just stopped and isolated themselves. If this sounds like you we are here to give you a reality check.
Isolating yourself during a time like this can be dangerous for your mental health. So even if you’re just having a phone call here and there or a FaceTime it can make all the difference.
7. Control What You Can
The pandemic has brought a lot of feelings of uncertainty and for many, that’s really scary. We have to take a step back, calm down, and realize that there are just things that aren’t in our control. We have to just go with the flow sometimes no matter how scary that sounds. Don’t stress yourself worrying about things you can’t control.
8. Do Socially Distanced Activities
Keeping busy is key to a stress-free life. Do small leisurely activities but make sure to keep things socially distanced! You don’t have to cut yourself off from the world during the pandemic, you just have to make sure that you’re more cautious about how you go about activities.
9. Seek Help If You Need It
This one is so important! Sometimes stressful times just get too much to the point where we can’t even handle it by ourselves. There are resources and help out there waiting for you!
A lot of people feel ashamed about getting help, and many times it’s due to avoidance from wanting to be honest with themselves. Take a look within and really be honest with yourself. If things are just getting too much maybe even one therapy session will help you destress and get back to normal.
10. Control Your Media Consumption
Social media and the constant flow of news coming into us is more than alarming at times. Especially during the pandemic, it’s like bad news after bad news after bad news. It’s rare to see anything positive in the media right now.
It’s good to be aware and not to ignore it, but seeing too much of it constantly can just make you sad and worried. The best way to combat that is just to monitor your media consumption and cut back.
11. Get Creative
It can get boring sitting in the house all day and feeling like you’re living the same day over and over again. It’s time to get creative and find new things that interest you! Just like finding a new hobby, finding new activities you can participate in will benefit your overall mood immensely.
12. Keep Your Space Clean
When people are feeling down and depressed one of the first things that goes unnoticed is how dirty their area gets. It’s just easy to let everything go once we feel depressed. It’s important to realize this and take control.
Having a clean area is proven to be a mood lifter. A clean area makes you feel accomplished and ready to take on the day.
13. Start A Journal
Another great way to keep in touch with yourself and your feelings is to keep a journal. It can help you log how you’re feeling day-to-day and help you set new goals that you want to accomplish.
In addition to that, it’s also a great way to keep yourself occupied and busy.
14. Get Into A Routine
When we say get in a routine we don’t mean a boring one that’s going to make you feel like you’re living the same day over and over again. We mean making a routine that’s going to help you stay productive and not just sitting on the couch all day.
You can even make a daily routine and change some things up on it daily, but it helps you have a plan and follow through with it.
15. Get Some Rest
Take the pandemic to have some time to get some rest. The pandemic almost slowed down our daily routines and gave us a lot more time on our hands. Not only that, but it’s a very stressful time overall. Make sure you realize that and just relax.
It’s okay to just be lazy sometimes as long as you don’t let it take over your whole life. It’s also important to listen to your body. Just relax this will pass!
How have you been managing stress during the pandemic? Let us know in the comments down below.
Featured Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/735001601668862046/
Alina is currently a student at the University of Arizona, majoring in Care, Health and Society and minoring in Psychology. She has a passion for writing about everything including fashion, design, health, lifestyle, and so much more!